A Good Man
by Hiei's Cute Girl
Summary: Demons run when a good man goes to war. Shuu-centric.


**A Good Man**

 **Summary:** Demons run when a good man goes to war.

 **WARNING:** No real plot, I have no idea where I am going with this. I guess you could say I am putting on Tsukiyama's clothes and going for some coffee with Kaneki Ken. A little sit down, some conversations… probably a lot of analysis on humanity and morality. _**Be ready for constant quotes**_ ; Tsukiyama and Kaneki are bibliophiles. Some floriography too, so keep an eye on them flowers. ( **Yes, floriography is the language of flowers**.)

 **I have no sense of direction with this story. I'm just writing as it comes along. So take it with a pinch of salt.**

 **ENJOY!**

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 **The Child is Lost**

As the days flew past, Tsukiyama still wasn't sure what to make of this new Kaneki Ken. When they had met, Kaneki had been the perfect example of kindness and goodwill. His entire body just screamed **victim** , so much that a predator and bully like him had been unable to resist pushing him about a little. Even after Touka had specifically warned Kaneki to stay away from someone like the _Gourmet_ , Kaneki had been a bleeding heart to his sob-story. He was so gullible that subsequent to his being practically served on a large platter, Kaneki still wanted to believe there was good in him. Many had questioned his actions when it came to the ghoul restaurant fiasco, but Tsukiyama had only these words to explain it: " _any enjoyment is weakened when shared._ " Yet, Kaneki had allowed it to pass unremarked. His sins were forgiven instantly.

It was almost like Kaneki had risen from a novel, spring-fresh and vibrant. _I hope that real love and truth are stronger in the end than any evil or misfortune in the world…_ was what his eyes seemed to say with strength of conviction. In a way, Tsukiyama had felt a jealousy so intense; it had nearly over-taken his driving need to consume delicacies. What could possibly create such a delicate creature? What kind of life does one need to lead to become so beautifully, sorrowfully fragile?

Kaneki Ken's entire self was like a hibiscus or a larkspur; soft and tender. The sweet, fragrant petals of his personality had Tsukiyama Shuu completely mesmerized from the moment they had met. It made Tsukiyama want to put him in a glass container, free from the taints of the world and the hatred that turned everyone into monsters. With Tsukiyama's influence in the underworld and human trafficking, he was no stranger to the greed and the tragedy of Man. _The devil is always around the corner_ ; he knows this, but somehow he had hoped Kaneki Ken would be exempt from the rule. He'd seen his fair share of suffering, had been forced to disconnect himself with the virtuous and valorous idea of goodness and life; such was the reality of a ghoul. He could no more think of his action to feed as something _immoral_ when it was about survival. Would his own death be nobler? Should he take his own life?

Then again, wasn't the act of _taking_ a **sin**? Wasn't Man even guilty of taking as well? Hadn't Man been condemned and banished from paradise due to his driving need to take and take and take _take_ **take**! Was it not Adam himself who had rebelled in Eden and caused all of his children to suffer from the original sin? _When Adam had transgressed, his sin reached unto all men_ ; so was not all of mankind thus cursed by their own God? They are godless. When he gazed upon others who enjoyed the agony of their brethren; others like him… he understood. He comprehended how someone could dismiss humanity as a line tainted by the past. In the depths of his monologue of evil, he'd then run into that boy.

Kaneki Ken seemed to be the water to mankind's oil. He would never mix with the cruel, gluttonous crowd that was humans or ghouls. He overthrew years of contemplation. Kaneki practically denied the words of notable authors. Had this boy been born without the ancestral sin?

This boy, who grimaced at the idea of eating and taking lives… he's blessed. Kaneki Ken was quite capable of suicide for the sake of another. Tsukiyama had met those who claimed to love others as deeply, but none had the scars to prove it. Now, having heard Kaneki's story of his days with Yamori, Tsukiyama was sure of it. Kaneki would slit his own throat to save a life. Despite everything that had happened, Kaneki was still sweet and kind.

Now, though, he was rougher around the edges. He is deadly. Somehow, Kaneki's smiles seemed more melancholic and a thousand times sharper. If Tsukiyama tried to put it into words, it felt like a little insanity had bled into them. Evil had stolen into his soul, as it always would. After all, _evil is a moral entity and not a created one, an eternal and not a perishable entity: it existed before the world._ It was a stronger force than anything; it would live beyond the time of man.

Perhaps this was why his fighting style had changed so much. Gone were the awkward moves of a fledgling learning to fly. Kaneki is a fully grown eagle now, stirring powerful wings. Though, if he really thought about it, Kaneki's fighting style was more suited to the strokes and fierceness of a sleek panther. He is graceful and controlled, sharp and unforgiving. The child he had once been was lost in the tumult of his agony, never to be seen again. His innocence was left behind, slaughtered and distorted by his slaver. In a way, all that was left was the grotesque, malformed, disjointed personality of a broken boy.

The first time he had seen Kaneki Ken fight, white hair around an eye that blazed red, Tsukiyama had been blown away. It was glorious. They had raided the ghoul restaurant, sneaking in and slaughtering all of the greedy, malicious ghouls in the building. Kaneki had been the striking hand of God, slamming all of his strength with righteous resolution. However brilliant and divine, there was an unholy light in his eyes that bespoke of Lucifer's madness. The slash of his _kagune_ had been bloodthirsty. The wide grin beneath his mask a little too gleeful. It was then Tsukiyama understood that his presence was surplus. He wasn't needed. _Demons run when a good man goes to war_ , some say. It was obvious to him that demons were smart for their ilk.

When he tells Kaneki this, the boy had merely smiled and responded with: " _I believe that the gods themselves are frightened of the world which they have fashioned_." This, of course, duly confused him. Did Kaneki blame the Gods for the trials they had put him through? Did Kaneki consider that a puppeteer had been the cause of his suffering? Was Kaneki fool enough to think that Yamori had been a tool used for the sake of some higher purpose?

Taking a seat, Tsukiyama carefully organizes his thoughts. For the first time in a month, they finally have some free time. Kaneki's schedule is quite demanding, and Tsukiyama is quite sure that this will be his last chance to address a philosophical argument for argument's sake. After all, Banjoi and his goons would cut in ruthlessly.

The uneducated savages didn't understand.

Kaneki's gaze is level and too-intense. The intensity is dizzying. It sends thrills down his spine. It is a new sensation, the feeling that he is in conversation with the devil. If he had to put it into words, he felt that a misstep could end with his head on the floor. It is a novel experience.

 _ **Excitante**_.

With careful deliberation, he quotes: " _The idea of God is the sole wrong for which I cannot forgive mankind_." Kaneki's answering smile is almost benign. His amusement is like a rolling thunder from a distance. Not quite rain, but the threat has yet to leave. If anything, Tsukiyama is almost sure that he made a mistake somewhere. Perhaps Kaneki Ken is not a fan of the Marquis?

" _There are as many truths as there are people to tell them,_ " Kaneki gives his rebuttal astutely, attacking from another position. His words are as sharp as a samurai's sword, his grin a shade too wild to be gentle. It makes gooseflesh run across his arms.

 _ **Délicieux.**_

Kaneki continues calmly, like a jasmine's fragrance. " _Poor God, how often He is blamed for all the suffering in the world. It's like praising Satan for allowing all the good that happens_." Tsukiyama stares at him, mute. Then he laughs, finding the humor in it all. Trust Kaneki Ken to slap his arguments nine ways to Sunday in less than thirty seconds. Anything less would have been a disappointment. In a way, Tsukiyama expects Kaneki to defeat him in any verbiage. While he is well-educated, Kaneki has a sense of purpose behind all of his philosophies. It's a beautiful thing.

For a moment, he is struck with intense longing. He wishes, as fervently as a believer, that this could last forever. Could they not sit here for the rest of eternity? Would the God he speaks of grant him that? Is it too much to ask? Is it? He could learn so much from Kaneki; already he is enjoying himself immensely. As he raises his hand and asks for another cold coffee drink, he knows he would forsake eating to stay here. If God would grant him Kaneki's company for the rest of his life, he would never kill again. Instead, he sends a wordless prayer to the very God he denies and says; "The validity of your argument is questionable, at best. There is none other than Man who is responsible for his misfortunes. _Why is there something rather than nothing_?"

Kaneki smiles fondly at him, " _God is dead,_ then?" he queries with a touch of curiosity. In that desirous tone, Tsukiyama fancies he can hear his own doom. He returns Kaneki's soft smile with a grin of his own, allowing some of his insanity to bleed through. If his dearest friend was treating this like a battle, he might as well do the same. It would be rude, otherwise. The battle fever is riding him high.

 _ **C'est palpitant**_ **.**

He is a little beside himself. _So fun_. Tsukiyama is sure there is no greater pleasure than this. _The most fruitful and natural exercise for our minds is, in my opinion, conversation…_ he says so to Kaneki, who waits for his answer rather than responding. Almost blushing from the attention of his master, Tsukiyama answers modestly. "For one to die, he must first live. In retrospect, the very definition of God is perfection. _That than which nothing greater can be conceived._ If we follow such a pattern, then, is it possible for Him to die? If Man is made in His image and Man is damned to mortality… is God thus cursed as well? Or does His perfection entail a life that does not end? If He does not exist, how can He die in the first place?"

Kaneki hums thoughtfully, cocking his head slightly to the side. "I suppose it depends on the God and the religion. Perhaps in Buddhism, who believe the rebirth is the key turning point in life; would not such a religion consider their deity to be capable of this? One of their most precious of symbols is the lotus, after all. I also believe Nietzsche was a little off in his use of words; but it's a powerful phrase. By declaring God's death, he strips Him of His power and perfection. _Mimes, in the form of God on high, mutter and mumble low…_ "

Tsukiyama smiles and extends his arms wide, " _Out – out are the lights- out all!_ " he cries passionately, as he and his master fall silent. When the waitress arrives with their second round of coffee and cleans their table, they sip their drinks in quiet contemplation.

The silence is comfortable.

 **To be POSSIBLY Continued…**

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 **Words: 1,900 (I was aiming for 2,000, but I got tired of Tsukiyama's endless eloquence and drama. He's a little exhausting.)**

" _Demons run when a good man goes to war_ ," – excerpt from the poem in the series **Dr. Who** , from an episode by the same name.

"… _any enjoyment is weakened when shared..._ " – by the Marquis of Sade, a most delightfully sinful individual.

" _I hope that real love and truth are stronger in the end than any evil or misfortune in the world._ " – by the great Charles Dickens.

Hibiscus – a flower that means "delicate beauty".

Larkspur – a flower that means "beautiful spirit".

" _The devil is always around the corner_ …" – coined by Will Leamon.

"… _the original sin…"_ – it is said that when Adam rebelled against God by eating from the forbidden tree, his sin went onto his descendants (Man). All of us are born with it, though there are different opinions on what was passed down. Some authors state that all that was passed down was the eternal servitude of living on Earth, while others argue that what we inherited was a need to sin since the moment we are born. (Children cry for food because they are greedy, etc.)

" _When Adam had transgressed, his sin reached unto all men_ …" – written by Vladimir Moss as he quotes St. Athanasius.

"… _evil is a moral entity and not a created one, an eternal and not a perishable entity: it existed before the world…"_ – quote by the Marquis of Sade. This man was probably Tsukiyama's idol.

" _I believe that the gods themselves are frightened of the world which they have fashioned_." – quote by Peter Ackroyd.

" _Excitante."_ – is exciting in Spanish.

" _The idea of God is the sole wrong for which I cannot forgive mankind_." – by the Marquis of Sade; bless that man and his profanities.

Jasmine – a flower that means "grace".

" _There are as many truths as there are people to tell them,_ " – author unknown.

" _Délicieux_." – delicious in French.

" _Poor God, how often He is blamed for all the suffering in the world. It's like praising Satan for allowing all the good that happens_." – by E.A. Bucchianeri.

" _Why is there something rather than nothing?_ " – quote by Gottfried Leibniz.

" _God is dead_ ,"- famous quote by one sour Friedrich Nietzsche, among the first to oppose both the "absolute truth" and the "absolute being".

" _C'est palpitant"_ – it means "it's thrilling/exciting" in French.

" _The most fruitful and natural exercise for our minds is, in my opinion, conversation…_ " – quote by Michel de Montaigne.

" _That than which nothing greater can be conceived."_ – quote by St. Anselm, to describe God.

" _Mimes, in the form of God on high, mutter and mumble low… Out – out are the lights- out all!"_ – Excerpt from the poem The Conqueror Worm in the story _Ligeia_ by Edgar Allan Poe. I really recommend that you read the story and the poem.

 **Yes, in case you hadn't noticed, I am also a bit of a nerd. I read three books, five articles, two poems and about a thousand quotes just to bring this beauty about. I always think that quoting authors is important when presenting an argument. Since both of the characters have a tendency to bring up the odd book excerpt, I thought it only logical I do the same. I know that my Tsukiyama-ramblings fell down a notch. I wasn't all that interested in faggoty-speeches as I was in** A Gourmet's Passion ( **which you are welcome to read).**

 **If you have any philosophical arguments you would like to see Kaneki Ken and Tsukityama Shuu discuss, review and let me know! I'm doing my own research for later chapters, though this story probably won't last long. I AM ALSO AWARE THAT I MADE A DEBATE OVER THE VALIDITY OF GOD JUST TO DESCRIBE KANEKI KEN AND** _ **I AM PROUD OF IT**_ **. Damn it.**

 **As a reminder, this story takes place sometime before the events of the second arc. I'll bring about the hunt for Dr. Kano's in the near-future. After all, Kaneki who is pro-torture is a little mind-boggling… and I want to write him down with a passion like I've never felt. Oh, he's such a complex character. He gives me the Shuu-shivers.**

 **Don't forget to review! If you do, I'll send you kisses and hugs and possibly one very dissonant love-song. (You have been warned.)**


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